Soft as a Petal
by Ejdeha
Summary: Naruto/WaTXM cross over. two broken souls have a chance meeting in granc Central Park, and one will learn to be strong while the other will learn how go escape the shadow of a bad relationship. Sakura/Toad. rated for violence.
1. Chapter 1

Soft as a Petal

Naruto/WaTXM cross over. Sakura knew she wasn't in love with Sasuke anymore, how could she love someone who abused her every day, but she couldn't leave him, she was too afraid to. Mortimer knew the Brotherhood hated him, but how could he leave the only people who'd ever given him a good home. Two shattered souls caught in the grip of fear and loneliness find each other one night one night on the cold hard streets of the Big Apple. Toad/Sakura.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or X-Men.

Sakura's PoV.

I had to get out of there. My face stung, and I knew my arm was bleeding. My ribs were already sore from him tossing me into a wall, but I didn't care at the moment. He was mad at me again, and I knew I couldn't stay there the rest of the night. If he hadn't have gone to shower, I would've never have gotten out either. My breath was hard as I turned down the street corner, and into Grand Central Park. I had been running for two miles or so. I knew I had to keep going. I had to get to Temari's house fast. She always let me stay there when Sasuke got like this.

The cool air brushed against the bruise on my cheek, and I winced at the sensation. I couldn't run anymore, I needed to catch my breath. At least my ribs stopped hurting. I was glad for that. I planted my sore ass onto a park bench. It felt nice to sit down. I hadn't taken a seat and rested since before Sasuke got home. I'd spent the next twenty minutes getting slapped around, and then the last half hour running. I was worn out, and now my eyes stung form the tears I was shedding.

I never thought I would have ever been in a situation like that. I was always able to defend myself before. Perverts, muggers, even drunks on the street, I was always able t fight them off with ease. I never let myself be taken advantage of, or hurt. Sasuke, however, he frightened me, I can't raise a hand to him; he scares me too much. He'd been totally different when we first met, but when we started dating, only two long months prior, he changed. Weather I didn't cook or the apartment was even the slightest bit dirty, he'd hit and yell. I had been lucky half the time, he'd have his friend Naruto over, and he'd hold Sasuke back, letting me escape. Of course I'd have to go back eventually; I had nowhere else to go.

I hated being in this mess, but I knew by then what he was capable of, and leaving him was not an option. I don't know if he would be the type to hunt me down or not, most likely not, but I was too afraid to take a chance.

Afraid. I hated that word. I hated feeling afraid too. But I was then, and it lasted a while.

I had been afraid, at least until that night. I that been sitting alone in the middle of Grand Central Park, usually a dangerous thing for a girl, but I had been the lucky one that night. I had been crying, feeling sorry for myself, although it wasn't like me, when a shrill cry and the sound of a fist on skin snapped me out of it. I turned my head in the direction of the cry.

A figure, hooded, and whimpered was on the ground. Someone had him at knife point, a bald Caucasian man in sunglasses and the most filthy and gaudy jacket and jean combo I'd ever seen. The hooded figure was shaking now, and mumbling about not having any money or even cigarettes. I knew I couldn't let this go on. I stood from my seat, and with thunderous fury I charged at the skinhead.

Toad's PoV

I knew I'd gone and done it that time. One minute I was walking the streets, trying to look as inconspicuous as I could possibly be, and the next I was in Grand central park, with some Homo-Saipan supremacist making me cower at knifepoint. He'd grabbed me, and dragged me into the park, most likely so nobody would see, and he'd taken me down faster than even Pietro could say "Hit the deck!"

I wanted to blame it on the Brotherhood, but I never did. I was convinced it was my fault. I had been yelled at for once again, ruining a job, getting caught, and having to be broken out of the hands of the MRD. Avalanche had snapped, and told me in his thick as ice accent that I was better off on the streets where I was found. Of course I got upset, and slipped out when everyone was in bed.

There I was, about to be shanked by someone who'd happened to have taken a glimpse of my face while I was walking by. It had all been because I had been jailed and let my incompetence show. I hated myself so much at that point. Besides, I was a mutant; anyone who would have found me after the stabbing would have just let me bleed to death. To any Saipan, it meant one less Mutant.

I closed my eyes, and braced myself, I waited for the worst. The worst never came. I heard the man yelp, and then I heard a thud, meaning he'd somehow fallen to the ground. Then I opened my eyes, and there he was, holding his nose, rolling on the ground as he was getting kicked by a boot.

Then I saw her.

She had a few bruises, but she was a vision of what I thought beauty should look like. She had long, bubblegum pink hair and striking emerald green eyes, all accented by a smooth face with oriental features. A bow was tied neatly in her locks and she had on the hottest outfit I'd ever seen; her red boots, and black skin tight shorts under a short dark red and white Chinese skirt, and a top short enough to show her small belly. The top itself was red and white also, with short sleeves and a white circle in the back.

She didn't look too please with the man she was kicking. S soon as she finished, he was up on his feet, and running, yelling something about a crazy mutant loving she devil. She chased after him for a few steps yelling for him to keep going, before her attention found itself to me. Instinctively I found my way further into the shadows of the nearby trees created by the full moon light. The last thing I wanted was for her to see me, and have a reaction similar to the bald guy's. I knew she was mostly likely three times as strong.

She knelt down to me, and with a kind smile offered a hand to me. She then spoke with a soft voice, which I will tell you, was most definitely that of an angel.

'It's okay now, I'm not going to hurt you. She said to me. I guessed she could smell fear, because I was positive I was radiating it. I fought the urge to reach my hand out to that benevolent goddess, in fear that she'd notice I only had four green fingers, and webbing between each. Not to mention my claws, if that's what you want to call them.

Luck was against me, however, like it always had been. A gust of wind blew, and my hood blew down, the wind picked up quickly, and my cloak was high in the sky before I ever knew it. Those green emeralds s she called her eyes widened, only slightly, in surprise. Before I could get a response, I was up and running, my skinny green legs hopping as fast as I could, considering the bald man had kicked my shin, and possibly cracked it and it hurt like all hell. She was after me quick, her beautiful soft milky legs carrying after me with speed that was amazing for a normal human.

She pursued me well into a part of town unfamiliar to me, and to my dismay, right into a dead end alley. There was a gate, and a wooden roof above me, and my only chance of escape, she was standing in the middle of. I was petrified.

Sakura's PoV

Admittedly, I didn't expect him to be a mutant. Even so, I also didn't expect him to be such a strange looking one at that. He had grass green skin, with dark green spots on his shoulders, which led me to assume they were on his back as well. He had the most interesting mossy green eyes as well, both of which reflected fright and discomfort. He had on a tight blue bodysuit with black accents and a red bandanna which hid the roots of his deadlocks, which were a dark brown with the slightest hint of dark green in them. He was stammering with his mouth open, revealing pointed teeth, and a green tongue. His fingers only had four fingers, and they were webbed, as well as his feet.

He was cowering from me the way he cowered from the skinhead at the park. His whimpering echoed throughout the alleyway. I sighed, and took slow, easy steps towards him. He shrank into the darkness even further. All I could do as reassurance was smile at him, and offer my hand once again.

'I said I wasn't going to hurt you, "my voice rang in a gentle tone, "and I won't. My name is Sakura."

He fear left his eyes, but he still looked a tad doubtful. With hesitation, he stood up, and walked cautiously over to me. I let my smile widen as he approached.

'S…Sakura, like meaning cherry blossoms…" he asked feebly. His voice was interesting, squeaky and shaky. He had to be the most freighted person I had ever met. Somehow his fearful attitude didn't irk me. I was so irked at myself earlier for having been so afraid of Sasuke.

"Yeah. Sakura as in cherry blossoms" She answered, in that voice again. Her eyes were glowing in the darkness of the alley. "Can I get your name?"

Toad's PoV

I knew better than to trust anyone anymore. I was so used to betrayal, and disappointment. But her just being there, in that dark alley in the middle of New York, I felt mesmerized by her. Her beauty and her voice, both were so stunning, I could just die. She was kind, and I could smell the hint of, ironically, Sakura scented perfume from her.

"Mort…Mortimer…although…I'm u…usually called Toad." I told her, my voice shy and shaking. She looked out of the alley, and she motioned for me. *I came, despite myself. She pointed to a rather nice looking apartment building.

"There, a friend of mine lives, her name is Temari, if you have nowhere to go, you can come with me there." She offered so sweetly. I thought about it for a moment. I really didn't want to go back to our current hideout, and I didn't want to stay on the streets and risk the MRD getting me either. It seemed my lick had changed. I nodded slowly. She gently took my hand, and she led me into the apartment. There was no clerk at the desk so I was able to slip in safely enough. We used the elevator, and stopped on the fifth floor.

We walked until we hit 506, and stopped. She raised her hand to knock but a voice stopped her. It was a boy's voice, and it sounded like the voice of a very lazy person at that.

"Temari," the voice called, not loudly, but not in a whisper either, "Sakura's at the door, and she has a guest."

"Shinkmaru!" a female voice called back, "I'm busy making a midnight snack for me and YOUR unborn baby! You're a telepath, open it yourself! She yelled in a harsh, yet easygoing voice. Like she at one time had been a total hard ass. The door opened, but the only person in the room, a annoyed looking boy with black hair all tied in a topknot, and jeans on and nothing else, was on the couch across the room reading a go instruction book.

Out of the kitchen came a blonde woman in a purple night gown, her hair was down, and she was holding about six grilled cheese sandwiches. At first I thought she was fat until I recalled her saying she was pregnant.

She took a quick glance at Sakura, and put her food down before going over to her. She placed a hand on the long forgotten bruise on Sakura's face and growled softly to herself.

"Sakura…did Sasuke hit you again?"

Sakura didn't say anything, she only nodded. A tear formed in her eyes, and it nearly broke my heart. Temari pulled her to the couch, and sat with her; a strong force pulled me inside, and closed the door behind me. I assumed it was Shinkmaru, the telepath.

Temari ate her sandwiches, and offered me some tea. I declined; I didn't like tea, not then anyway. When Temari asked about me, Sakura explained. I was a little frightened. Here I was, a member of the brotherhood of mutants, inside of a home belonging to a telepath and his Saipan wife. I felt as ease when they offered to let me stay for the night. I know that Shinkmaru knew about me though, I could feel him probing my mind. All he did after his analysis though was give me a nonchalant shrug.

"Thanks Temari, for letting me and him stay."

Temari shrugged.

"I'd rather my best friend here, than being beat by the person who claims to be hr boyfriend."

I felt my heart sink. She already had a boyfriend. I curled up on the couch, and almost pouted. But then it hit me, he hit her, and I felt rage. But I knew I wasn't going to do anything about it, I was not the fighting type.

The door echoed with the sound of a loud pounding. Shikamaru stood up and he quickly gave both Temari and Sakura a look.

"It's…Sasuke…" he whispered to them.

The door banged again, and behind it shouted; "OPEN UP! SAKURA GET YOUR ASS OUT HERE NOW YOU DAMN WHORE!"

-End of chapter

Just to say it, I don't hate Sasuke, I just needed conflict. I used to hate it, but he'd redeemed himself in my heart, although I need him to be an ass hole for the plot of this to get right away. Oh, and please review this, don't just add it to your alert list, I want to know what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, here is chapter two. I would like to thank Yuchi1994 for her lovely review; reviews are what keeps me writing.

I don't own Wolverine and the X-men, or Naruto. If I did, I would work for both viz and Marvel. I would also be a very Asian looking Stan Lee. And I am not Asian or Stan Lee. Sadly, now I cry for an hour dwelling on that.

-Chapter two

Toad's Pov

Sakura looked mortified. Those green eyes of hers were wide, and she was holding the bruise on her face with her hand. I could see tears, and fear. I can't say I didn't feel afraid too. This Sasuke character sounded intimidating, frightening, like Avalanche with a hernia. I cowered behind the couch. He banged on the door again.

"I SAID OPEN THE GOD DAMN DOOR!"

Shikamaru sighed, he sounded more bored than concerned. With a deep exasperated breath he used his telekinesis to unlock the door. It opened of its own accord again, and there he man was, tall and foreboding. His strangely cut raven hair loomed over his face and shaded his dark eyes with a malicious tone. His cloths were disheveled, his blue shirt covered in dust and his jeans were covered in mud. His leather jacket seemed spotless.

H stepped into the apartment, his boots making a soft thud with each step. His eyes met Sakura's, and he motioned out the door with his thumb.

"I wasn't finished with you yet, get your ass in the truck and get home. Now." Even when he was speaking calmly, his voice was horrifying, like there was a darkness hidden in it. I didn't like how he was talking to Sakura; someone as pretty as her shouldn't be treated like that. All it proved to me was that Sapiens were as cruel to each other as they were to us Mutants.

He grabbed Sakura's wrist, and attempted to pull her out. She pulled back, fear still shining in her eyes, and took a step back. She only shook her head in protest. Sasuke's eyes hardened with anger at her defiance. He reached for her again, and this time his hand was caught by Temari.

"Let her be, you've done enough tonight." She said her eyes as hard as his. Swiftly, Sasuke had his hand back, and wasted no time in striking Temari. She staggered and almost fell over the couch. Shikamaru shot up, and approached Sasuke.

"You're asking for it, Uchicha." He warned. I guess Sasuke didn't see him as a threat, so he disregarded him, and I saw his hand collide with Sakura's unharmed cheek. Sakura let out a cry, and hit her knees sobbing, still holding her face.

I snapped, I felt fear and anger build up. In some weird spur of the moment action, I ljumped as high as I could dare without hitting my head, and both my webbed feet met the side of his head, and as soon as I could look, I saw him against the wall, holding his ear, and heaving in anger and surprise.

I couldn't believe what I had done. I was never much of a fighter, and usually, when the Brotherhood was fighting I was hiding, cowering in places like crashed planes and behind trees. I usually never even lay a hit when I do fight, and there I was, looking at myself then as the raven haired man, trying to conceive the fact that I had been the one to hit him. I felt like puckering, or at least like gagging.

That reflex ended quickly when Sasuke regained his composure, and he was after me in an instant. Instinct told me to hop out of the way, and I did, and as soon as I was out of the way, I took Sakura's hand, and I was pulling her out the door. Shikamaru's voice rang inside my head, telling me to take her somewhere safe, and that he'd hold off Sasuke, and that was it. I pulled her into my arms and leapt out the window. She screamed in panic, glass shattered around us. I screamed too, but was grateful to land on the building across from us, which was in itself, a good two stories off the ground. I leapt off of it as well, and let her down before we took off running.

Ten minutes and twelve blocks later, we finally stopped, both of us trying to catch our breath. She placed her hands on her knees as she took in larges gasps of air. Her hair hung in front of her face like a pink veil.

"Why," I asked after we both could breathe, gathering as much courage as I could to even bring this up, "do you stay with him. He's not a very good guy if you ask me."

"Don't you think I know, I hate how he treats me, but he frightens me, besides, if not him, who?"

I shrugged, my face getting hotter as I thought of how to respond to that, my hands went to my sides, trying to find nonexistent pockets, "Well…there…there's m…"

I was caught off when I saw two figures coming our way, tall armored men in helmets with MRD embroidered into their uniforms. I gulped, knowing full well who they were, by name even, Richard and Kenneth, two MRD agents, and my most common jailers. I knew that they'd recognize me as soon as they got close enough, and I wanted to run, but Sakura…I couldn't just run away and leave her there. I began to shake and fidget wildly, my eyes darting over to them, then to Sakura, and then to the nearest empty street.

"Ummm…what is it, Mort" she asked, before she followed my eyes to the two approaching men.

Sakura's PoV

I had wondered why Mortimer was suddenly so jumpy, but as soon as I saw the two MRD agents, I knew why. He was jumpy because he was either wanted or unregistered. I had no idea it was both. The two men went from talking to each other and laughing while stuffing donuts into their disgusting mouths to standing completely still and staring at Mort.

"YOU again?" one of them spoke up, "You're under arrest…again!"

They took out handcuffs, and surrounded him, and tried to apprehend him. He backed away, and was up against the wall. He was whimpering, and about to let out a scream for help.

I cracked my knuckled, and with a "YAAAAH!" I knocked one I into the wall, and a well aimed kick had the other in the street.

I was grabbed from behind, and a cuff was placed around one of my wrists.

'You're under arrest to, for assault of an MRD officer, and attempting to help an unregistered and wanted Mutant terrorist in resisting arrest."

His hot breath on my neck made me shiver. He was scaring me the same way Sasuke was. I knew I couldn't let him get to me, I knew I had to fight. I growled, and elbowed him as hard as I could. He doubled over in pain, and threw up a little on the pavement.

The other was on Mortimer, he already had him on the ground and he was now cuffed and bruised. I landed a high kick in the MRD officer's face. He hit the concrete and grabbed his nose. Quickly, I pulled the cuffs off of Mortimer, and we fled down the street as fast as we possibly could.

When the two officers took to their car we knew we had to hide. We could hear the siren from the distance. I had to think fast. I looked around, taking every detail from the city around me, and I could feel myself starting to sweat in fear. I looked down and I got on my knees in the middle of the street.

Mortimer watched me as I began to try and lift the cover of the manhole. He looked back and then he looked down at the manhole again. His long green tongue shot out, and he pulled it off for me. I sighed in gratitude as we both jumped down into the sewer below, and I pulled the lid back over as I climbed down the ladder. We heard the siren over us but it sped on.

We sat in the darkness for a hour. Both of us looked fearfully up at the manhole, and when we were sure we were safe, we took in a breath of relief. It took me a minute to figure out that I had put my arms around his neck. I didn't really care at the moment however, I needed the comfort.

"Where do we go now?' He asked softly. I shook my head; I myself didn't know the answer. I found myself cuddling up to the boy, my face finding a comfortable spot in the crook of his neck. I could see the red of his blush shining through the green of his skin. It was dark, and it smelled of the sewage that was around us. I knew that we were safe for now though. Sasuke wouldn't search the sewers for me, and the MRD, admittedly, were to stupid to think of it.

I was exhausted, having spent most of the night running, and beating off skinheads and MRD agent s. I wanted sleep, and by the look in his eyes, so did Toad. I didn't stay awake long enough to ask him if he was tired. I drifted off, and I slept soundly, my body collapsed on him, and before I completely fell asleep myself, I heard soft snoring from right next to me.

-End of chapter

Okay, sorry that took so long; I have another story I have to work on as well. Thanks to both of my rewievers, and I hope you can get others to read as well, the more reviews I get, the more I update. Just kidding. I will at leat update once a week.


	3. Chapter 3

I deserve to get sapped for ignoring this for so long. So now I wait the brikcs to coem crashing through my bedroom window.

Well, I don't own Naruto or Wolverine and the X-Men. I"m still not Asian Stan Lee sadly.

-Toad's PoV-

When I woke up I instantly caught the scent of her Shampoo. It was sweet, cherry blossom, fitting for a girl with her name, and made me lean into her hair a little. After that I almost fell back asleep. When she stirred, I was up again. She looked at me, and was silent as if thinking of what we do now. She then smiled a small smile.

"Well, one thing is for sure, I'm not going back to Sasuke." she said, but her face changed to confusion then, "But I still don't know what to do now."

"I...I dunno either.." I said. I didn't want to leave her alone, but I knew I had to get back to the Brotherhood, and I wasn't sure how they'd react to me bringing home a sapien, so much as a girl. _Oooh, what a fine mess I got myself into! _I thought to myself. But of course I wasn't leaving her, not as long as she needed me.

We spent a moment in silence, neither of us speaking or moving, despite the fact she knew she was still in my skinny and rather odd lap. Light radiated from the manhole above, but it was faint, more like sunset than sunrise. Sakura checked her wristwatch, and gave a small surprised "oh."

"It's 7AM." she told me. So it was still sunrise, at least at this time of year.

She finally climbed off of my lap, and I stood, my legs cold form the loss of hr body heat. She was up too, she dusting her skirt off. I felt my heart beat. All we did was sit there, however, with no plan or Idea on where to go. It was quiet, until I caught the distant sound of footsteps from somewhere down the tunnel.

"Umm...Sakura?" I called to her, stuttering like I usually do. She turned to me and asked what was wrong in her angel's voice. "I hear someone.."

We didn't have time to react when a flashlight's light could bee seen coming our way from behind me. We could hear voices, ones that made Sakura grab me to stop me from hopping away.

"Shikamaru said they wee down here..." One said, a seemingly childish voice, one that was a little scratchy and immature. The other voice was more soft,and feminine. Sakura gave me a nod that meant we were safe, before she pulled me over.

We came face to face with two others. One was a tall blonde, with bright blue eyes, and amazingly fluffy fox ears coming from the sides of his head, and nine equally fluffy tails behind him. The other was tall, and had long chocolate hair and eyes. He seemed normal enough, other than the fact that I thought he was a girl at first. Sakura greeted them with a smile.

"Naruto, Haku, how did you find us?" She asked after the greetings and introductions were over.

"Shikamaru contacted us after Sasuke left their apartment." Naruto answered. "Sasuke came by my place looking for you. Told me to keep a lookout for you. Like I'd tell him where you were."

Sakura later told me that he was a good person, and constantly tried to stop her boyfriend form harming her, sometimes getting involved with their 'fights' and helping Sakura get away. And Haku was just a good friend of both of them, who lost his only family, his faster father Zabuza, I think, in a drive by.

"Temari told us to take you to the Greyhound. She bought you two tickets outta town." Naruto told us quickly, grabbing our wrists and pulling us away from the manhole, to one that would bring us closer to the Terminals.

I whimpered, there was on way I could get on one of those buses. Not with the way I looked, and the fact that I was most likely on the news now as a runaway terrorist.

Haku smiled, making him look more like a pretty girl. "It's okay, we know about you." he informed us, "It's a controlled rout, the drives from here to Wisconsin we all know. They'll let you on without question." I nodded, nervous as ever. "We have things for the two of you already packed, and waiting in Hinata's car."

-Sakura's PoV-

When He asked who Hinata's car, I giggled. Ther was no way he'd know her, but I still found it funny. Naruto's face had beamed and he'd said with a proud laugh, "My girl!" And I knew he'd gawk when he saw her. She was pretty, with her light blue eyes and grape purple hair. We wre all piled in ow Mort under a blanket to hide him from other people in their cars. Hinata had taken us to the home where she and Naruto lived, and let us bath while she washed our cloths, and now, clean and refreshed, as well as fed, we were on our way to the Greyhound terminal.

We checked in as soon as we got there, and then headed for our bus as fast as possible. Our luggage were placed underneath us, and our carry-on's in the compartments above our seats. The bus was nearly empty, and the few people on with us were either mutants like Mort, or like me, normal but without a real care for if someone was a mutant or not. Mortimer seemed more skittish than ever as we boarded.I took a window seat, and Mort the one next to me. I did know the driver, like Naruto had said. He was a man named Shino, a bug fanatic I've known since High School. He just gave me a knowing nob before closing the doors of the bus and starting up the engine. We were on the road in about ten minutes.

We spent hours in silence as we stared out the windows into the countryside. Dusk set almost as slow as the ride went. Wisconsin was still far off.

"What's in Wisconsin anyway?" Mortimer asked after the silence began to eat at me.

"My only guess is my old Martial Arts Instructor, Tsunade." I answered. I'd had an inkling about it, but I wasn't sure. He only nodded and looked at the window again.

-End of Chapter

Okay, it's sort, but now I'm updating more. Laters.


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